Tag: finalists

Wisconsin legend among 14 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

Wisconsin legend among 14 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

The 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists were announced yesterday evening

The list includes 14 people, ranging from high school coaches, to some of the best NBA players of all time, to legendary owners and executives.

Related: ChatGPT ranks the most intimidating Big Ten football stadiums to play in

The finalists are put in front of the Honors Committee, which then officially votes on the new class. That class will be announced on April 6 at the NCAA Men’s Final Four.

Included among the 14 Hall of Fame finalists is a Wisconsin legend:

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Finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024

Finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024

There’s one notable former New Orleans Saints player on the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024: Jahri Evans. The repeat All-Pro and Pro Bowler won all sorts of accolades during his career with the Saints, and he’s soon going to learn whether or not he’ll be enshrined to the Hall of Fame. So will standout cornerback Eric Allen, who played for several teams including the Saints from 1995 to 1997.

Evans was a semifinalist in 2023, his first year of eligibility, but this time he’s one of 15 modern-era finalists. Along with three senior candidates and one coach/contributor, they’re all in the hunt for induction. The Class of 2024 will be announced at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night. Here’s a look at all of the finalists:

Jameis Winston predicted half of the 2023 Heisman Trophy finalists

Jameis Winston knows ball. Two of the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s Heisman Trophy picks are finalists for this year’s award:

Jameis Winston knows ball. Like all former Heisman Trophy winners, he’s given a ballot for the award’s voting each year, and the New Orleans Saints quarterback shared his picks for the 2023 finalists earlier in November.

And half his picks made the cut. Winston named LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels and Oregon Ducks passer Bo Nix as two of the most impressive players in college football this season, and they’re both in the running with invitations to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation coming up in December. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. also made the cut.

Winston’s other two picks were left out, though: USC Trojans signal-caller Caleb Williams (the reigning winner) and Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis (who led Winston’s alma mater to an undefeated season and conference championship). Williams regressed this season and Travis suffered a season-ending injury, so neither of them were in the running when it came time for voters to turn in their ballots.

So who is going to be this year’s winner? We’ll have to wait and find out when the 2023 Heisman Trophy is awarded on Saturday, Dec. 9.

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5-star quarterback in 2023 class lists LSU as a finalist

California passer Jaden Rashada will announce his decision on June 18.

LSU is in the mix for a number of signal-callers in the 2023 recruiting class, and it has cracked the list of finalists for one of them.

Pittsburg (California) quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] has become one of the top targets in this cycle, and the Tigers were one of seven teams in his group of finalists, joining Oregon, Florida, Ole Miss, Miami, California and Texas A&M.

Rashada is rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 29 overall prospect (No. 5 quarterback). He received an offer from the Tigers in January, and he was on campus for an unofficial visit on April 25.

He’s not the only quarterback coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is pursuing in this cycle, as LSU has also been in contact with players like [autotag]Arch Manning[/autotag], [autotag]Eli Holstein[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Moore[/autotag].

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound prospect is set to announce his decision on June 18. LSU will hope some good news is coming down the pipeline and that it can land its passer.

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Four-star offensive line target lists LSU among final four teams

The Tigers are looking to pull Alpharetta offensive tackle Shamurad Uramov away from the in-state Georgia Bulldogs.

Recruiting the offensive line is the cornerstone of any SEC program’s success. Building a strong team in the trenches is absolutely key when you go up against college football’s best defensive fronts, and with offensive linemen opting to transfer less frequently than skill position players, finding quality high school prospects is the easiest way to do that.

LSU is trying to pick up the first offensive lineman in its 2023 recruiting class in Alpharetta, Georgia, prospect [autotag]Shamurad Umarov[/autotag], a 6-foot-6, 315-pound offensive tackle.

Umarov recently released his final four, which included LSU in addition to Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan State. He will take official visits to each school during the month of June, including Baton Rouge on June 17.

The Tigers will look to add him to the class, which currently features just four players and ranks 19th nationally.

Film

LSU Wire breaks down his profile.

Twitter gets heated after Alabama LB Will Anderson jr. is snubbed from Heisman Ceremony

Will Anderson jr. won’t be heading to New York, and people are not happy about it.

Alabama sophomore linebacker Will Anderson jr. is having an amazing season. His consistent and strong play on the field not only makes him a difference maker for the defense, but an all-around leader for the team.

Fans of Anderson believe he has not been given enough credit throughout the season for his performance, and the anger boiled over tonight, as Anderson was snubbed from being a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Instead, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and three others will be traveling to New York as finalists.

Those who believe Anderson deserved a seat in New York made their frustration known on Twitter.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

2021 PFHOF: Sam Mills again reaches the finalists stage

Sam Mills, the legendary New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers linebacker, has again been named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.

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Sam Mills has again been named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist after reaching that stage last year, giving the legendary New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers linebacker a chance at enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. He’s part of a crowded group of candidates, including New Orleans natives Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne.

Mills has been passed over many times before. His candidacy is in its 19th year, the second-oldest of the group (trailing the great Clay Matthews Jr., with 20 years). But he’s now been named a finalist for two consecutive cycles, suggesting there’s a real effort among the voters to get him into the Hall of Fame. And that would be well-deserved given his efforts with both franchises he helped put on the map.

In New Orleans, Mills was the heartbeat of the “Dome Patrol” defense, helping elevate the Saints to the team’s first playoff game in 1987 and representing them in four Pro Bowls. He was part of an iconic set of linebackers along with Hall of Fame inductee Rickey Jackson, the great Pat Swilling, and the late Vaughan Johnson.

But he ended up finishing his career with the expansion-team Panthers, standing out on the field late into his 30’s before continuing his career as a coach. He’s continued to stand out in fans’ memories since his too-soon passing in 2005, helped by a bronze statue in his likeness outside Carolina’s stadium. Maybe the Saints should consider immortalizing his legacy with the Saints someday with a memorial of their own outside the Superdome, joined by his Dome Patrol teammates.

In the meantime, we might have to settle for a bronze bust in Canton, joining Jackson’s. Here’s hoping the voters give him his due credit in their final deliberations.

Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Charles Woodson top 2021 PFHOF finalists

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Sam Mills overlooked in Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Former New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers linebacker Sam Mills was not voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its Modern-Era Class of 2020 on Saturday, and unfortunately, late New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills was left on the outside looking in. The 48-strong selection committee had a tough task with so many highly-qualified finalists, but ultimately, just five players were able to make the cut. The Hall of Fame made those inductees official in a statement:

The Modern-Era players for the Class of 2020 were just announced on stage during taping of NFL Honors, a two-hour primetime awards special that will air nationally tonight at 8 p.m. (ET and PT) on FOX. They include safety STEVE ATWATER, wide receiver ISAAC BRUCE, guard STEVE HUTCHINSON, running back EDGERRIN JAMES, and safety TROY POLAMALU. The five newest Hall of Famers were joined on stage by the living members from the Centennial Slate.

It’s a tough break for Mills’ family, friends, and supporters. His candidacy had never reached the finalist stage before, having stalled out as a semifinalist three times over the last two decades. Mills died of cancer in 2005, so others have had to carry his torch in pursuit of recognition in the Hall of Fame. He was an early face of the expansion-franchise Carolina Panthers, and a bronze statue in his image guards Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte to this day.

However, it won’t get any easier next year. Big names like Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson will become eligible for the first time in 2021, and they’re both shoo-ins as first-ballot Hall of Famers. Here’s hoping Mills’ legacy will get the respect it deserves — it’s a shame that there isn’t a gold bust next to his old “Dome Patrol” teammate Rickey Jackson, who was inducted in 2010. At least Mills’ memory endures among his fans and those close to him.

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Famed ‘Dome Patrol’ Saints LB Sam Mills named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Former New Orleans Saints Saints linebacker Sam Mills, of ‘Dome Patrol’ fame, was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Former New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills was announced as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020. This is huge news considering Mills has been named a semifinalist three times since becoming eligible to enter the Hall of Fame, most recently in Nov. 2019, but this is the first time his candidacy has advanced to the next stage of voting.

Mills spent nine years in New Orleans, starring in the famous “Dome Patrol” defense alongside linebackers Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swilling, and Rickey Jackson, who was voted into the Hall of Fame back in 2010. Mills finished his career with the expansion-team Carolina Panthers, joining their coaching staff after his playing days were over. He died in Charlotte in 2005 of intestinal cancer, and a bronze statue stands in his memory outside the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium to this day.

Mills’ career stats and impact to both teams he played with speaks for itself. His five Pro Bowl appearances (four with the Saints) also help, as well as his past inductions to the Saints Hall of Fame in 1998 and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2001. He’ll have his case heard before the Hall of Fame selection committee on Feb. 1, the day before Super Bowl LIV, as part of the 15-strong group of finalists. Only five will make the final cut, and his credentials are as strong as any.

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